Samyukta Kisan Morcha(SKM)‘s Andhra Pradesh unit president Vadde Sobhandreswara Rao on Tuesday exhorted the farmers to gear up for a sustained campaign for fixing of minimum support price(MSP) as per a formula evolved by noted agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan.
Taking part in the ‘Yeruvaka Pournami’ celebrations organised by farmers to mark the commencement of kharif cropping season, he lamented that while the cost of all farm inputs went up several folds year after year, remunerative price for farmers produce remained elusive.
“We will press for c2(total cost of crop) plus 50% before all political parties ahead of the 2024 elections at the national and State levels and ensure that the promise is prominently included in their respective poll manifestoes,” he said.
He said their other demands included debt relief for farmers who were caught in debt trap cultivating crops under adverse climatic condition repeatedly despite losses. While the Centre had no hesitation in writing off the loans secured by corporate houses, why was it denying loan waiver for farmers, he asked. It was unfortunate that even now hardly 40% of the small and marginal farmers got institutional credit. Tenant farmers continued to be in the clutches of private money lenders, he added.
Farmers, who had proved their mite by forcing the Narendra Modi Government to take back the three corporate-friendly farm laws, will not rest till statutory backing to the MSP regime is achieved, he asserted amid loud cheers by fellow farmers.
While income of different sections of people including Central and State government staff, went up over a period, only the earnings of farmers dipped over a period due to the alleged consumer-centric approach of the Centre, observed Mr Sobhandreswara Rao, who has studied in depth the adverse effect of the WTO regime on the farmers in the country.
He faulted the Centre for the alleged under estimation of the cost of cultivation while fixing the MSP. Farmers were in an unenvious position as even the MSP announced by the Centre before the commencement of cropping season remained elusive to them for various reasons.
A large number of followers of veteran parliamentarian N G Ranga, including SKM Prakasam district convenor Ch Ranga Rao, Yerneni Nagendranath and Ch Seshaiah as also playwright P Ananda Rao and Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) honorary State President Nalluri Venkateswarlu attended the meeting which resolved to wage a protracted struggle for a fair deal to farmers.
